The phone rang and on picking up the call I could hear a loud sobbing of my friend.I asked her, " What happened to you? Why are you crying is everything fine?" But, she kept on sobbing and after few seconds she replied, " I want to see you, I need to talk to you."
I told her to come over, and meanwhile I was getting all anxious about her and was feeling restless.
After 20 minutes, she came into my room. On seeing me she broke down and started to cry. It made me feel more nervous and scared about the whole situation.
After a while she said, "Aumio.. my only 6 year old son.."
I asked her out of anxiety and fear, "What happened to Aumio?Please tell me."
She replied," The doctor has diagnosed that he has lost 40 percent of hearing in both the ears..I feel like a loser".
"We went to an audiologist today and we got hearing aids for him,We made him wear and he immediately removed it saying I can hear why I need this.This is making me and my husband more miserable and we just don't know how to deal with it."
This gave me a heart pain - I remembered the pain which my parents went through with their first child. It made me remember of my childhood , the complications with it and it gave me a shiver.
I told her "Come, lets go to your house I want to talk to Aumio."
"But, he will not listen to anybody."
"I will give it a try, and I am sure I can talk to him after all he loves to talk to me and he is always happy to see me."
We were on our way to her apartment, I had no idea whatto talk with the 6 year old child.I wanted him to be a strong person and not feel pity for himself.But explaining these things to 6 year old child is not that easy a task. As I even didn't understand these things at that age. I tried to remember my emotions and feelings it all came clear to me I still remember asking my parents " Why me ? What will people think, they will think I am stupid, Nobody will talk to me."
On reaching my friend's home I met her husband he was in a devastated state too. I could feel the pain they were going through as Aumio was their only child.
I asked him"Where is Aumio?"
"He is in his room and all upset and doesn't want to talk to us"
I asked them," Could I go to his room and talk for a while?"
They agreed to it and showed me the way to his room.I knocked at his door and called out "Aumio,its Mansee here, Are you busy?"
Aumio on hearing me got very excited and happy and said "When did you come? I am very upset now and I cannot play with you today"
"I came just now and why are you upset?Did somebody told you anything ?"
"Yes, my parents took me to some doctor. The Doctor tells my mom and dad that I cannot hear so they are giving me something to put in my ear to hear better.But you see, i am not wearing those now and I can listen to you. I can listen everything ,please tell them. "
"Aumio,but a doctor will not lie "
"Then how can I talk to you without those hearing aids?"
"There are some sounds you are not aware of it at all that's why you don't know. Do you remember your teacher telling to your mom that you are not able to get some of the things the teacher talks about in the class.Its all because you miss it out and don't hear certain things and you didn't realize it."
"Yes, i do remember. But..."
"What is bothering you?"
"What will my friends think of me, they will make fun of me and will laugh at me.They will think I am stupid."
"OK, So now at least you accept that you need to wear hearing aids but you are just getting scared of the people ?"
''Yes, I guess so.."
"OK, Good so first of all go get your hearing aids I want to see it how it is and how one wears it.?"
"OK, be in my room I will be back."
I was at least happy that he is taken a big step forward in accepting that he needs to wear it. I realized he is so much stronger than me at that particular age and it made me proud of him.
"Here it is, it looks so weird..."
"Wow look at that ! Yours and mine looks exactly the same,see this is one more thing we have in common now apart from playing and going to McDonald's."
He asked in a surprise way"Do you wear this weird thing?"
"Yes I do, not one but two."
"Can I see yours? But how come, I never knew about it?"
"Yes sure you can see it, but then you have to promise me that you will at least wear it and give it a try ."
"OK, I will"
"Good , see here it is! doesn't both of ours look the same?"
"Yes it does"
He gave me a serious look and asked " Didn't your friends tease you and made fun of you?"
"Yes they did"
"Didn't you get angry with them? "
" I used to be angry. There were lots of people who you used to hurt me .But, I realized they don't even know what one goes through on loosing hearing . So I thought instead of getting hurt I need to be more strong and just let it go away."
He looked up to me,It gave him the positive outlook towards the whole issue.He himself wore both the hearing aids and asked my help in fixing it properly. I felt overjoyed that he understood and took it calmly.
After he wore it , he gave me a look of nervousness which clearly showed he was asking me how to deal with this issue with other people.
I told him "Aumio, you are a very strong guy. You are even stronger than me at this age and
just remember that you are someone very special to all of us. You wearing hearing aids doesn't make you any different to your parents, and me . We still love you the way we used to and will always be there to support you and help you fight. You will find lot of people who might not be good to you need it to let it go. Always remember that you have your parents and family who love you very much."
He came forward and gave me a hug and said "Thank you, but you know these are making my ears uncomfortable."
"You will get used to it,give your ears some time."
He exclaimed,"Oh wait! I am going to show it to my mom and dad that I am wearing my hearing aids."
I told him "Go ahead, I will follow you ."
On seeing me, my friend got overwhelmed and was overjoyed , I gave her a smile but didn't say anything much as the whole talk made me so exhausted and weak for a while.
I asked her if she could drop me back to my home as I have my exam the very next day.Before going I called out to Aumio and told him " If you want to talk to me, you have my cellphone number call me whenever you want."
My friend dropped me home, while getting out of the car she said "Thank you, you have done something which I cannot repay you back in any form ".
I just gave her a smile and told her"Take care".
I told her to come over, and meanwhile I was getting all anxious about her and was feeling restless.
After 20 minutes, she came into my room. On seeing me she broke down and started to cry. It made me feel more nervous and scared about the whole situation.
After a while she said, "Aumio.. my only 6 year old son.."
I asked her out of anxiety and fear, "What happened to Aumio?Please tell me."
She replied," The doctor has diagnosed that he has lost 40 percent of hearing in both the ears..I feel like a loser".
"We went to an audiologist today and we got hearing aids for him,We made him wear and he immediately removed it saying I can hear why I need this.This is making me and my husband more miserable and we just don't know how to deal with it."
This gave me a heart pain - I remembered the pain which my parents went through with their first child. It made me remember of my childhood , the complications with it and it gave me a shiver.
I told her "Come, lets go to your house I want to talk to Aumio."
"But, he will not listen to anybody."
"I will give it a try, and I am sure I can talk to him after all he loves to talk to me and he is always happy to see me."
We were on our way to her apartment, I had no idea whatto talk with the 6 year old child.I wanted him to be a strong person and not feel pity for himself.But explaining these things to 6 year old child is not that easy a task. As I even didn't understand these things at that age. I tried to remember my emotions and feelings it all came clear to me I still remember asking my parents " Why me ? What will people think, they will think I am stupid, Nobody will talk to me."
On reaching my friend's home I met her husband he was in a devastated state too. I could feel the pain they were going through as Aumio was their only child.
I asked him"Where is Aumio?"
"He is in his room and all upset and doesn't want to talk to us"
I asked them," Could I go to his room and talk for a while?"
They agreed to it and showed me the way to his room.I knocked at his door and called out "Aumio,its Mansee here, Are you busy?"
Aumio on hearing me got very excited and happy and said "When did you come? I am very upset now and I cannot play with you today"
"I came just now and why are you upset?Did somebody told you anything ?"
"Yes, my parents took me to some doctor. The Doctor tells my mom and dad that I cannot hear so they are giving me something to put in my ear to hear better.But you see, i am not wearing those now and I can listen to you. I can listen everything ,please tell them. "
"Aumio,but a doctor will not lie "
"Then how can I talk to you without those hearing aids?"
"There are some sounds you are not aware of it at all that's why you don't know. Do you remember your teacher telling to your mom that you are not able to get some of the things the teacher talks about in the class.Its all because you miss it out and don't hear certain things and you didn't realize it."
"Yes, i do remember. But..."
"What is bothering you?"
"What will my friends think of me, they will make fun of me and will laugh at me.They will think I am stupid."
"OK, So now at least you accept that you need to wear hearing aids but you are just getting scared of the people ?"
''Yes, I guess so.."
"OK, Good so first of all go get your hearing aids I want to see it how it is and how one wears it.?"
"OK, be in my room I will be back."
I was at least happy that he is taken a big step forward in accepting that he needs to wear it. I realized he is so much stronger than me at that particular age and it made me proud of him.
"Here it is, it looks so weird..."
"Wow look at that ! Yours and mine looks exactly the same,see this is one more thing we have in common now apart from playing and going to McDonald's."
He asked in a surprise way"Do you wear this weird thing?"
"Yes I do, not one but two."
"Can I see yours? But how come, I never knew about it?"
"Yes sure you can see it, but then you have to promise me that you will at least wear it and give it a try ."
"OK, I will"
"Good , see here it is! doesn't both of ours look the same?"
"Yes it does"
He gave me a serious look and asked " Didn't your friends tease you and made fun of you?"
"Yes they did"
"Didn't you get angry with them? "
" I used to be angry. There were lots of people who you used to hurt me .But, I realized they don't even know what one goes through on loosing hearing . So I thought instead of getting hurt I need to be more strong and just let it go away."
He looked up to me,It gave him the positive outlook towards the whole issue.He himself wore both the hearing aids and asked my help in fixing it properly. I felt overjoyed that he understood and took it calmly.
After he wore it , he gave me a look of nervousness which clearly showed he was asking me how to deal with this issue with other people.
I told him "Aumio, you are a very strong guy. You are even stronger than me at this age and
just remember that you are someone very special to all of us. You wearing hearing aids doesn't make you any different to your parents, and me . We still love you the way we used to and will always be there to support you and help you fight. You will find lot of people who might not be good to you need it to let it go. Always remember that you have your parents and family who love you very much."
He came forward and gave me a hug and said "Thank you, but you know these are making my ears uncomfortable."
"You will get used to it,give your ears some time."
He exclaimed,"Oh wait! I am going to show it to my mom and dad that I am wearing my hearing aids."
I told him "Go ahead, I will follow you ."
On seeing me, my friend got overwhelmed and was overjoyed , I gave her a smile but didn't say anything much as the whole talk made me so exhausted and weak for a while.
I asked her if she could drop me back to my home as I have my exam the very next day.Before going I called out to Aumio and told him " If you want to talk to me, you have my cellphone number call me whenever you want."
My friend dropped me home, while getting out of the car she said "Thank you, you have done something which I cannot repay you back in any form ".
I just gave her a smile and told her"Take care".
Comments
Hats off to you!
-Viju